Best Friends
by Skyler McAndrews
Summary: Someone from Sirius Black's past has the sudden desire for conversation.


"He's an arrogant prat," Elizabeth LeStrange muttered pacing in front of the Gryffindor Common Room Fireplace.

"So you've said, three times," her best friend Lily Evans replied calmly, eyes twinkling mischieviously. 

"Don't look at me like that, Evans, I mean it! I am engaged to an idiot!" 

Lily's expression instantly soured,  
>"Don't remind me; that marriage contract is barbaric! I cannot believe that people still do that." <p>

Elizabeth nodded firmly,  
>"Much better! You are supposed to be on my side, besides this isn't exaclty the worst thing that could happen... I could be betrothed to Crabbe..." The girls looked at each other in disgust, before Elizabeth collapsed onto the couch, "What am I going to do?" she moaned.<p>

Lily shrugged, and reached out to squeeze her hand,  
>"Run away? Not marry him?"<p>

Elizabeth waved her other hand airily,  
>"Oh, tosh. I can handle Sirius Black in my sleep." <p>

Lily arched an eyebrow,  
>"Oh, really?"<br>Elizabeth snorted disdainfully,  
>"Figuratively speaking, of course." <p>

"Of course," Lily replied drily, smiling. 

"Really, I needn't join the endless line of girls following him into the broom closet," Elizabeth sniffed primly, "Besides, as previously stated... _he_ isn't the problem!" 

Lily wrinkled her brow in thought,  
>"Didn't this conversation start with <em>'He is a prat?'<em> Isn't the _he_ in question Sirius?" 

Elizabeth frowned,  
>"Well, yes, but the problem is more that the idea of marryng Sirius doesn't seem as horrible an idea as I had originally thought! If I give in about this, my mother will get the mistaken idea that I am becoming... <em>biddable<em>." she finished with a small shiver. Lily stared at her in shock, speechless. Elizabeth scowled,  
>"Oh, come off it, you are currently dating James Potter, are you not?" <p>

Lily blushed lightly,  
>"That is different." <p>

"How?" Elizabeth demanded. 

Lily stammered, trying to think up a reasonable answer,  
>"Well... well you have despised Sirius since our first year!" <p>

Elizabeth laughed,  
>"And you didn't despise James?" <p>

Lily shrugged,  
>"Maybe a little, but you were so much more adament about it." <p>

Elizabeth sighed,  
>"Partly to spite my mother, I suppose. In retrospect, he isn't <em>that<em> bad..." Elizabeth smiled ruefully and stood up suddenly, "Let's go eat dinner." 

Lily stood up and followed Elizabeth toward the door,  
>"The boys should be back by now. The train was supposed to bring students back in time for dinner tonight." <p>

Elizabeth rolled her eyes,  
>"Oh joy," she replied sarcastically. <p>

Lily nudged her shoulder and the two girls burst out laughing as the portait closed behind them.

Elizabeth studied the Gryffindor table, and sat down next Lily, grateful that Remus Lupin took the other seat next to her. Sirius settled into the seat across from her, and she sent him a scowl, out of habit, before striking up a conversation with Remus about the Charms scroll due at the start of the term on Monday.

Dinner was soon interrupted by the arrival of the evening Owl Post. A large eagle owl soared through the open window and landed in from of Elizabeth.  
>"Reeves?" she questioned confused staring at the large owl in consternation, "I was just home a week ago." she muttered. The owl blinked at her and regally held out it's foot. "All right, all right," Elizabeth said exasperatedly, untying the red envelope from the owl's leg. She stared after the owl as it silently took off, before turning to the red envelope. <p>

"What could I have possibly done already?" she questioned sideways to Lily. 

Lily shrugged,  
>"I don't know, but you had better get on with it, it is starting to smoke."<p>

Ignoring the interest of the other tables in the Great Hall, Elizabeth steeled her nerves and opened the seal. The envelope lept from her hands, and the magically amplified shrill voice of her mother echoed throughou the Great Hall, effectively ending any conversation. 

"DISGRACFUL! THE INSULT IS SO GREAT THAT I COULD KILL THE UNGRATEFUL, DISHONORABLE WRETCH MYSELF! RUNNING AWAY, THE BLOOD TRAITOR! IT IS A GOOD THING THAT WALBURGA DISOWNED THE WHELP! YOU ARE **NEVER** TO SPEAK TO THAT INGRATE AGAIN!" 

Elizabeth glanced across the table at Sirius, who shrugged non-chalantly and tried not wince every time he was insulted. He attempted to smile at her, but it came out more of a grimace as Elizabeth's mother continued to rant into the silent Great Hall, 

"THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY. YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MAKE A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS MARRIAGE... PERHAPS INTO THE CRABBE FAMILY. I AWAIT YOUR LETTER OF THANKS." 

The parchment then promptly tore itself into pieces. The Hall's volume slowly returned to a more normal level, though many speculative looks were cast at the Gryffindor table. Elizabeth frowned at the place where the parchment had been, and then looked over at Sirius.  
>"Would you care to explain?" <p>

Sirius shrugged in a forced non-chalant movement,  
>"It would seem that our betrothal has been dissolved on the grounds that I was recently disowned by my mother." <p>

Elizabeth studied Sirius with the beginnings of a gleam in her eye,  
>"What, by Merlin, did you do?" <p>

Sirius rolled his eyes,  
>"I ran away over the holidays- it was infinitely easier that spending another minute pretending." <p>

Elizabeth leaned back in thought,  
>"So, we're not..." <p>

"Nope," Sirius finished. 

Elizabeth began to smile,  
>"I do believe that you have just become my new best friend, Sirius Black." <p>

Sirius looked at her for a moment before the beginnings of a smile teased the edge of his lips,  
>"Anything to annoy controlling mothers." <p>

Elizabeth laughed happily,  
>"I just knew that you'd understand!"<p> 


End file.
